The present invention is directed to a powered toothbrush head that includes an oscillating block having bristles extending therefrom. Various types of such powered toothbrushes are generally known in the art which provide for cleaning and massaging of both the soft and hard tissue of the mouth. Reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 5,625,916 which relates to an electrically driven toothbrush which includes a motor drive for rotating a drive shaft. The drive shaft is connected to a bristle holder on the head of the toothbrush in such a manner that rotation of the drive shaft causes the bristle holder to rotationally oscillate back and forth. Various other arrangements are known for oscillating a bristle holder mounted to the head of an electric toothbrush.
Published PCT application WO 02/19942 discloses a motor-driven toothbrush with a conventionally oscillating, round facial cross-section brush head from which extend a plurality of bristles. The brush head is divided into a number of brush support segments, which segments are arranged so as to be displaced relative to each other, such that the angle of the bristles within each segment of the brush head will vary during use.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,213 discloses a manual toothbrush with a brush face having extending therefrom a combination of bristle tufts some of which are substantially perpendicular to the brush face, some of which tilt laterally inward toward the center of the face and some of which tilt laterally outward toward the nearest side of the brush face. This combination of multiply angled bristles is disclosed to provide a dynamic cleaning effect, as the bristles are forced in the direction of their angle, they will tend to spring out of crevasses within and between the teeth as stresses are exceeded to contain them in place. This dynamic cleaning effect will tend to fling plaque out of such crevasses.
There is a need in the art for an electric toothbrush which contains a combination of moving and non-moving bristles, wherein at least some of the non-moving bristles are at different angles to provide the cleaning and massaging effects of an electric toothbrush and the dynamic cleaning effect of multiply angled non-moving bristles.